Car-seat



' 2 sheets shee't 1. H. S. HALE.

CAR SEAT (No Model.)

Patented Dec. 14, 1897.

Inventor.

W itnesses.

Attorney.

jrm: Noam: PETERS w, PHUTOUTHQ. vusnmmon. n. c.

H 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

CAR SEAT.

No 595,624. Patented Dec. 14, 1897.

Inventor.

W itnesses.

Atto rney UNITED STATES PATENT FEicE.

HENRY S. HALE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,624, dated December 14, 1897.

Application filed March 18, 1897. Serial No. 627,272. (No model.)

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. HALE, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Car-Seats, of which-the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to car-seats; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The improvements forming the subj ect-matter of this application are especially designed for railway-cars in which the seats are to be reversed to suit the direction of travel of the car.

In carrying out my invention I pivot two seats or chairs upon the opposite end of a pivoted support or frame, the base therefor being intermediate of the seats or chairs and preferably in the shape of a pedestal. I furthermore connect the two chairs or seats with the pedestal or to an extension thereof by suitable mechanism which shall operate automatically upon shifting the position of the seat-supporting frame to impart to the chairs or seats a portion of a revolution upon their pivots, whereby the combined action of the pivoted support in moving together with the operation of the reversing mechanism shall produce a complete reversal of .the chair and simultaneously therewith change the angle of alinement of the chairs within the carbody. In this form of car-seat I prefer to arrange the seats on a diagonal line to the wall of the car, so that one seat is somewhat in advance of the other, but I do not confine myself to this special feature. In my preferred form of mechanism for inducing a reversal of the chair under the movement thereof through themedia of the pivoted support I employ two links pivoted atone end to the pedestal and at the other end to the chairs, so that while the chairs are moving through the arc of a circle as entireties they are re volved upon their pivot connections with the pivoted supporting-frame a portion of a revolution, the combined actions of which completely reverse the chairs.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which* circle.

' Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved carseat. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof with a portion in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1, showing the seats in their reversed position; and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional plan views showing modifications of my improvements.

A is a pedestal or stationary base-frame of any suitable construction and is provided at the top with a journal-pin E, upon which is loosely journaled the pivoted support B,which is free to swing in a horizontal direction, preferably through an arc less than a semi- Pivoted upon each end or arm of the pivoted support B at point 0 are the two chairs or seats 0 O. Secured to the pedestal A in any suitable manner is a frame D, to which is hinged on opposite sides at points (1 the two links or bars F F. The said links or bars point in opposite directions and are respectively connected by hinged joints f with the forward part of one seat and the rear part of the other seat, as very clearly shown in Fig. 1. lhe construction is such that in the normal operation the supporting frame B holds the chairs oblique to the wall of the car, and when rotated in the direction of the arrow from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3 the seats are completely reversed about their pivots c, said action being due partly to the rotation of the supporting-frame B and partly to the action of the links. When the reversal takes place, the two seats 0 O are supported in a diagonal line to the side wall of the car in the same relation-that is tosay, the seat next to the window is always in the rear of the seat next to the aisle. It is evident, however, that this, while preferable, may be reversed, and the seat next to the window may be the one in advance. This will be understood by simply assuming that the car-wall, instead of being at the left-hand side, as shown, is located at the right-hand side, in Figs. 1 and 3.

In place of the links F, I may employ suitable gears, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which the frame D is substituted by a gear D and the links F, connecting with the seats C, are substituted by segmental racks F, screwed to the under side of the seats. As the gear D is stationary, it is evident that any oscillation of the frame B will, by means of the.

racks, reverse the seats as before. The two extreme positions of seats in reversing are clearly indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. The objection to gearing, however, is the liability to injury by getting the fingers between the cogs and also to the rattling which generally accompanies gearing. A further objection is the expense where the gears are nicely made.

I do not confine myself to any special details of construction, as my invention comprehends, broadly, two pivoted chairs or seats upon a common support, in turn sustained so as to swing the chairs through arcs of circles and provided with means 'for automatically rotating the chairs or seats upon their pivots while shifting them through the arc ofacircle.

Consequently while I prefer the construction shown I do not limit myself thereto.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a reversible car-seat, the combination of two independent pivoted seats, a common support therefor adapted to move the seats 'as entireties in the arc of a circle and in opposite'directions, and means for simultaneously revolving the seats upon their pivots while they are moving as entireties through the arcs of the circles.

2. In a reversible car-seat, thecombination of apedestal or'base, a support pivotedthereto and having two projecting arms, two seatsor chairs respectively pivoted upon the ends of the arms of the support, and connecting devices between the respective seats and the pedestal or base whereby the movement of the pivoted supportthrough the arc of a circle will automatically reverse the seats.

, 3. In a reversible car-seat, the combination 'of a stationary pedestal or base, a support pivoted thereto at a point intermediate of its ends, two independen tly-rotating seats or chairs respectively pivoted upon the ends of the support, links each having-oneend con- 'nected with one of the chairs and having the other end held close to the pivot connections of the support whereby the movement of the support through the are of a circle will shift the position of the two seats within the'car and at the same time reverse them upon their pivots.

4. In a reversible car-seat, the combination of a stationary pedestal or base, a support pivoted thereto at a point intermediate of its ends, two independently-rotating seats or chairs respectively pivoted upon the ends of the support, two links connected to the pedestal or base at their inner ends and having their outer ends respectively connected one to the rear portion of one seat and the other to the forward portion of the otherseat whereby'amo've'me'nt of the support through an are or a circle will cause the seats to be reversed upon their pivots.

5. In a reversible car-seat, the combination of a fixed pedestal or base, a movable support pivoted thereto and adapted to move Having now described my invention, what through an are less than a semicircle, two 'independent seats or-chairs movably connected upon the ends of the support and arranged upon each side of its pivot, and connecting devices between the chairs '01 seats and the pedestal or base for reversing the seats upon the movable support whereby they are 'completely reversed and at the same time are caused to be brought into an oblique line to the side of the car so that the corresponding seat has a position always in advanceof the other.

6. In a car-seat, the combination of astationary pedestal or base, a support pivoted thereto at its middle, two independent seats or chairs independently pivoted upon't'h'e'ends of the support, connecting devices between thecar-seats and pedestal -or base 'whereby each of the seats is acted upon at two .points to induce their rotation and the seats are "transferred alternately to opposite sides of the .pivot'of the support so that they are alternatelyshifted from the aisle' to the window side, and vice versa.

In testimony of which invention I hereu n'to set my hand. 

